The steam surface Great – you didn’t need me to tell you that. But with these accessories, you can make it much better.
In essence, the Deck is basically a mini gaming PC. For many, sticking with stock hardware is enough, but you can greatly expand its usability by purchasing a few key products to unlock them for other use cases.
Given the versatility of this system, I’ve divided my recommendations into three categories: gaming on the go, gaming at home, and expanding usability. I’ll break down what each one entails as we go through!
Expand usability
Steam Deck is a powerful enough system out of the box, especially if you get the 512GB model. But with a few key accessories, you can really make the most of its capabilities with three main things – storage expansion, a USB-C hub, and peripherals to use this in desktop mode.
1 TB MicroSDXC Card
Computer games are huge. For comparison, while Unknown: The Legacy of Thieves It goes up to 90GB on PS5, while the PC version goes up to 126GB. This practically doubles the storage capacity of the baseline Steam Deck, and 20% of the half a terabyte you get is at the highest spec.
Simply put, no matter which version you’re using, a microSD card is essential. I personally took a file Amazon Basics 1 TB Card (Opens in a new tab), which is regularly discounted here in the UK. While microSD card support is pretty extensive for Steam Deck, there are two things to look for to ensure the best performance:
- A2: This stands for “Application Performance Class 2”, which boosts performance above Class 1 by using better flash storage management techniques such as command queuing and cache.
- U3: Indicates the speed of the microSD card. For example, U1 is 10 MB / s, while U3 is 30 MB / s.
- C10: The C with 10 inside represents the minimum speed in MB/s, which means that at its hottest under uncompromising performance, you’ll get 10 MB/s.
You can get more storage capacities than that, but at much higher prices. I feel this medium is the best balance of value, with increased speed. In addition to Black Friday Around the corner, I guarantee you can get a good deal.
Logitech MX Mechanical + MX Master 3S
If you’ve read any of my how-to pieces about different ways to tinker with Steam Deck, be it by adding a file Custom introductory animations for Steam Deck or convert Steam Deck in the best emulator in the worldyou know it always starts with going to a Linux-based desktop mode and tip: Use your keyboard and mouse.
Yes, you can use cheaper options than I recommended. Just take a look at our website Best Keyboard and Mouse Combinations List And you can find other options at lower prices. but i love MX mechanical And the MX Master 3S For the tactile feel of the keyboard, the responsiveness of the mouse and its ergonomic design.
You can take a file Mechanical MX for $169 (Opens in a new tab) and the MX Master 3S for $99 (Opens in a new tab).
deny 341 axes
Now I know what you’re going to say. There are many others USB-C . hubs Which is much better, than adding more ports to giving you a full 4K 60Hz picture through an upgraded HDMI port.
However, for what I’m using it for, which is basically getting a larger screen image to fiddle with in Linux desktop mode, I don’t need more than the 1080p 60fps image that this provides.
Plus, I only need the ports more than this provides – whether it’s USB-A to plug in various accessories like the Thrustmaster T248 for racing sims, or USB-C for my SSD whenever I want to remove games from Steam Deck and store them for use. later (instead of having to re-download them).
Furthermore, if you’re probably using it to connect to a hotel room TV for gaming, trying to run games at 4K 60fps is practically impossible. You’ll want to target 1080p or even 720p. With that in mind, the $35 price tag is more than perfect for what this does, and it is Regularly discounted too (Opens in a new tab).
playing at home
While I’m talking about one of my favorite Steam Deck features which is the fact that I can turn it on and play on the couch while my partner grabs the TV watching her 100th Gilmore Girls watch, you can use this like a Nintendo Switch and dock on it Home console style. The user interface looks great when used on a large screen and most games perform very well with such high demands.
But to do that, we need a dock (powered by the plug you get with Steam Deck) and a controller.
JSAUX docking station
The official Steam Deck dock is quite expensive for what you get. Of course, there’s this first-party support, but Valve has committed to providing the same TV experience via third-party options as well.
in $49 from Amazon (Opens in a new tab)JSAUX offers a more durable docking station, built with aluminum and offering full 4K 60fps capability with HDMI 2.0. Besides, you have three USB-A 3.0 ports and Gigabit Ethernet.
And they look unmistakably great next to your TV or monitor. What more could you ask for?
Xbox Core Wireless Controller
For a console, you can always use a cord and save some money, thanks to the USB ports on the back of the dock, but this can make your office or living room look a bit messy.
To fix that, I’ll always go wireless and when it comes to the best bang for your buck, the Xbox Wireless Controller offers a nice ergonomic shape and tactile buttons for comfortable gaming sessions over long periods of time.
Don’t get me wrong – the PS5’s DualSense controller is great to use, but it comes at a steeper price tag, and louder feedback in games is more widely supported than the advanced DualSense technology, which means it’s a little unnecessary.
Whatever you’re using, the visible button prompts you to make Steam UI changes to match the board you’re on, and in $49 now from Amazon (Opens in a new tab)This is a great value option.
Play on the go
The name is a dead giveaway for what I’m talking about here. It’s purpose built as a portable game console after all, but there are a few things you can buy to truly unleash its potential.
Quick Alert – If you’re going to be offline for a while, or maybe playing on a long train ride, make sure you Setting the offline mode correctly.
1 More Quad Play Earbuds
Yes, the Steam Deck has Bluetooth and you can connect a pair of your best wireless earbuds to it, but the latency ruins the experience in my opinion. Fortunately, there is a 3.5mm audio jack to combat that, which means I can fire up the best wired earbuds I’ve ever used.
The 1 More Quad Wired Earphones (Opens in a new tab) Do what they say on the box – each bud has three balanced drivers and a diamond-like carbon dynamic driver, all tuned by Grammy Award-winning sound engineer Luca Bignardi for stunning detail on all levels.
Not only is this ideal for delivering impressive song definition, but it also provides a great gaming experience (enhanced by THX certification and Hi-Res audio for the earphones). In addition, the 45-degree tilt design ensures a secure fit and impressive passive noise cancellation.
For on-the-go use with the Steam Deck, the Kevlar core cables are extremely durable and tangle-resistant, and the leather case with magnetic latch fits snugly on the back of the included case.
Anker Nano II 713 Charger
Yes, Steam Deck comes with its own charging bricks and cable, and the final cost down will be using that. But let’s ask the question here: is this the best option?
The brick size is quite large and the fixed cable limits the usability of this charger for anything with a USB-C plug. Meanwhile, the Anker Nano II 713 delivers the desired 45W output, and the fact that you can swap out the cable means you can use this to charge any gadgets with other special connectors, like the Lightning or Apple Watch dial.
This is more convenient when traveling and in $39 from Amazon (Opens in a new tab)-It’s theft!
portable battery
This model is a bit ambiguous to recommend a particular model, because there are so few to choose from. all of the Best power banks for laptop The list supports the 45 watts of power delivery required to charge the Steam Deck effectively, but let me pull a few details from the list.
Currently, I am using a file Intelli ScoutPro, which does it all – MagSafe wireless charging on top and 100W power delivery via USB-C. This makes it infinitely more useful other than charging Steam Deck.
I also experience (and love) Chargic Storm 2 (Opens in a new tab). Despite the lack of wireless charging, the capacity is larger than the ScoutPro and still has a variety of ports to offer versatility. The transparent design is great for geeks like me to look at, but without a better way to say this, if you’re taking it through airport customs, prepare to get a lot of questions as it might look like explosive to some!